Short for nymphomaniac. A person who has nymphomania, an insatiable desire for sexual activity. Often used to refer only to women (the Latin root nymphae refers to female genitalia and was derived from the similar Greek word meaning bride or young woman), with satyromaniac being the counterpart for men who suffer from satyriasis (the male equivalent of nymphomania). Satyro is not in common usage, however, so hypersexual men can be nymphos.